The Apostolical History, Chapter 7 · Section 14
SECT. XIV.
THE Epiſtle of Jude was written probably about this this time, being very near of kin in ſtyle and matter to the ſecond Epiſtle of Peter. This Jude, or Judas, was ſon of Alpheus and Mary (ſiſter to the bleſſed Virgin), and brother to James the Leſs [ſee pag. 309.], and Couſin-german to our Saviour, Mat. 13.55. He was called alſo Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus (a)Thaddaeus ſignifies in Syriac the ſame thing which Judah doth in Hebrew, viz. praiſe and confeſſion. Lebbaeus ſignifies a wiſe and an understanding man.[Mat. 10.3.], to diſtinguiſh him (as ſome think) from Judas Iſcariot, whoſe very Name was now grown odious. Of this Jude's converſion and call to be an Apoſtle, the Scripture ſpeaks not particularly. We find little more mentioned of him, beſides his being numbred among the Twelve Apoſtles, and his writing this Epiſtle, ſave only this, That he propounded that Queſtion to our Saviour, Joh. 14.22, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifeſt thy ſelf to us, and not unto the world? This Apoſtle is reported by the Eccleſiaſtick Hiſtorians (b)See Niceph. Hiſt. Eccleſ. lib. 2. c. 40, & 44. Hiſt. Eccleſ. Magd. Cent. 1. lib. 2. c. 10.to have preached the Goſpel afterwards in many parts of the world, as particularly in Idumaea, Arabia, Syria, and a long time in Meſopotamia, as alſo in Pontus, and Egypt, and at laſt in Perſia; where 'tis ſaid, he was ſlain by the Magi for his free and faithful reproof of their Superſtitions.
In the Epiſtle there are theſe three parts,The Epiſtle of Iu…
1. The Preface.
2. The Body of the Epiſtle.
3. The Concluſion.
1. THE Preface; wherein is declared, 1. Who was the Penman of the Epiſtle, viz. Jude the ſervant of Chriſt, and brother of James. 2. Who were the perſons to whom it was directed, viz. to all the Chriſtian-Hebrews, who were effectually called*That word (called) both in the conſtruction of the words, and the order of nature, is to be read firſt. See Junius, Paraeus, and others., and ſanctified by the Spirit of God the Father, and kept(a)foreign] eſt participium praeteritum pro praeſenti. Grot. and preſerved in *See 1 Joh. 2.27, 28.and by Chriſt, in their ſtate of grace and holineſs, unto ſalvation. To all whom he wiſhes that the mercy, favour, and good-will of God, may be more and more manifeſted, and that inward peace of conſcience, and love to God, and to one another, may be daily more and more encreaſed in them. Ver. 1, 2.
2. He comes now to the Body of the Epiſtle, wherein he tells them, That ſeeing he gave himſelf with all diligence to write unto them of the common ſalvation (which he and they, and all the Saints, have intereſt in), he found it needful, in the firſt place, to exhort them, that they ſhould earneſtly contend for the faith *E…dem intelligit hic quae creditur, i e. doctrinam fidei Act. 6, 7., that is, the ſound doctrine of the Goſpel, which is neceſſary to be owned and believed, in order to the obtaining ſalvation, and was once (c)Dicit ſemel quia de eâ doctrina nihil immutandum. Grot. Semel tradita, h. e. perfectè. Tridlib.and perfectly (never after to be altered) delivered to the Saints, that is, to the holy Apoſtles, to be propagated; and to particular believers, to be faithfully kept and preſerved by them, and tranſmitted unto poſterity. He inforces his exhortation with theſe reaſons: 1. He tells them, certain wicked Seducers were ſlily crept into the Church, men long before written (d)foreign h. e. jam olim in, ſacris literis a Prophetis & Apoſtolis praedicti, ut apparet ex v. 14, 15, & 18. Non ergo dicit quod Deus illos ab aeterno in damnationem praeordinaverit, & deſcripſerit aut praedeſtinaverit, ſed quod jam pridem in ſcriptura praedicti ſint, ſicut & Rom. …5. v. 4. haec ipſa vox uſurpatur. H. Illyric. in loc.of, and propheſied of [ſee v. 14, 15. and 17, 18.], as thoſe that would by their great ſins and impieties fall into that condemnation which God hath ordain'd as a juſt reward to ſuch tranſgreſſions. Th…ſe wicked and ungodly men, he ſhews, will pervert the doctrine of the free-grace of God, and of juſtification by faith in Chriſt, and make it patronize looſneſs and laſciviouſneſs(e)Revera Evangelium transformabant in doctrinam libidinoſam. Grot, (as the Nicol…s, Gnoſticks, and other impure Hereticks did) and will either openly or covertly deny Jeſus Chriſt our only Maſter, God, and Lord, leſſening the dignity of his Perſon, and invalidating (as much as lies in them) the benefits of his death and ſufferings. That therefore thoſe unto whom he wrote, might take heed of following their pernicious ways, he ſets before them the examples of Gods vengeance inflicted in former times up in perſons guilty of ſuch tranſgreſſions as theſe ſeducers were guilty of. And, 1. He tells them, that he will once(f)Duae illae voces foreign cum verbo praecedente foreign congruè cohaerent, tanquam ſi hoc modo legeretu…; foreign, q. d. Etſi ſcio vos haec tenere cognita tamen ſemel adhuc (dum ſcil. in hoc tabernaculo ſum) vos de eo commonefaciam. Fridlib. more be their Remembrancer while he is in this Tabernacle (though they knew this already) how God deſtroyed(g)Perdidit, nempe per ſerpentes, per morbos, per Angelum, per manus Levitarum. Vid. 1 Cor. 10.5, 8, 9. the Iſraelits in the Wilderneſs for their unbelief, after they were brought out of Egypt. And ſo thoſe now that fall into the like ſin, are to expect the like diſtruction. 2. He ſets before them the example of the Angels who kept not that firſt eſtate of bleſſedneſs in which they were created; but being for their ſins and rebellion againſt God, thrown down from Heaven (where the good Angels have ſtill their habitation, Mat. 24.36. Mar. 12.25.) they are now reſerved under the reſtraint of his irreſiſtible Power, in an eſtate of miſery and horror (as condemned Malefactors are reſerved in chains and darkneſs to the judgment of the great day, when their condition ſhall be made much more miſerable than now it is; ſee 2 Pet. 2.4. And if God ſpared not Apoſtate Angels, ſurely he will not ſpare Apoſtatizing Seducers. 3. He ſhews them how Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbouring-Cities Adma and Zehoim, giving themſelves up to prodigious luſts and uncleanneſs, were then moſt notoriouſly puniſhed with utter deſtruction by fire and brimſtone from heaven; yet that was but as a fore-runner of thoſe eternal flames of Hell which they now ſuffer, and ſo may well be a terrifying-example and warning to all that fall into the ſame ſins at this time. And yet for all theſe dreadful examples, he ſhews, that in like manner did theſe Seducers (who vent(h)Stulta imaginantes ut ii qui ſomniant. Grot. their own dreams and phantaſies inſtead of Gods truth, Jer. 23.25.) pollute and defile themſelves with filthy libidinous practices. Nay further, they deſpiſe dominion, and ſhew themſelves adverſaries to Civil Government, and revile and ſpeak contumeliouſly of thoſe that are in Authority, ſee 2 Pet. 2.10. Now this their ſin in deſpiſing lawful Authority, he aggravates, by ſetting before them the contrary example of good Angels. He tells them, that Michael the Arch-Angel, though excellent in nature and high in office when he contended with the Devil about the Body of Moſes (which God, knowing Iſrael's proneneſs to Idolatry, had buried no man knows where, leſt they ſhould commit Idolatry with it, as they did with the brazen Serpent), and when he withſtood him becauſe he endeavoured to diſcover it, that he might thereby tempt the people to Idolatry; yet his holy nature would not permit him to deal with this impure Spirit in an indecent and contumelious manner; but he made his attempts fruitleſs by an holy and modeſt addreſs to God, deſiring the Lord to rebuke him (i)Theſe circumſtances the Apoſtle might receive by divine revelation; and here they are authoriſed and made authentick.[ſee Zach. 3.2.], and referr'd the whole judgment of the cauſe to him. But theſe Seducers, he ſhews, belch out their reproaches againſt Dignities and Magiſtrates (the uſefulneſs of whom they know not), and poſſibly againſt the myſteries of the Chriſtian faith it ſelf, which they underſtand not, though they call themſelves Gnoſticks, and pretend to a greater and larger knowledg than others; ſee 2 Pet. 2.12. Nay, what they know naturally by the very light of Nature to be unlawful, in thoſe things, as brute beaſts, they corrupt and defile themſelves. The Apoſtle alſo chargeth them with other ſins; as, 1. With Envy, Malice, and Hatred againſt their Brethren and fellow-Chriſtians. Wo *He ſpeaks it by way of propheſie, not execration.unto them (ſaith he), they have gone in the way of Cain, who was a Murtherer, and ſlew his Brother, and they in like manner, by reaſon of their hatred to their brethren, are no leſs than Murtherers, 1 Joh. 3.12, 15. 2. They have adulterated the truth for baſe gain, and ſo have followed greedily the error of Balaam (k)Numb. 22. ſee his end, Numb. 31.8., who to get a reward, enſnared the Iſraelites in a great villany, Rev. 2.14. 3. He chargeth them with ſeditiouſneſs againſt Magiſtracy and Miniſtry, and imitating Corah and his Accomplices, who roſe up againſt Moſes and Aaron, Numb. 16.31; and this he tells them will certainly bring ruin upon them, as it did upon Corah, Dathan, and Abiram. He further ſets out their wickedneſs, by ſundry reſemblances: 1. He ſays they are ſpots and blemiſhes in their Love-feaſts, 2 Pet. 2.12. (the infamy of their lives being a ſcandal to their Chriſtian-Aſſemblies); and coming thither, they feed luxuriouſly, without any fear of offending either God or Man. 2. They are Clouds without water, promiſing rain, but giving none (2 Pet. 2.17.); making a ſhew of learning and knowledg, but not having any ſuch thing really in them; they are indeed no more but empty Clouds, impetuouſly driven by winds and tempeſts from one vicious doctrine and practice to another; and being unſtable, come to nothing in the end. 3. They are Trees that bring forth no good and wholſome fruit, but only ſuch as preſently withers and rots; they are twice dead (l)Bis mortuae] Sumpta Metaphora ab arboribus, quae bis moriuntur, primum cum deficiunt ferrè fructus, ſecundò cum exciſae traduntur ignibus. Zeger., 1. In reſpect of their natural eſtate, upon which account they are dead in treſpaſſes and ſins: And then in reſpect of their apoſtacy, and falling off from their Chriſtian profeſſion: And thus having to their natural, drawn upon themſelves a judicial hardneſs, if they ſo continue, as they are fit for nothing elſe, ſo they ſhall certainly be plucked up by the roots(m)foreign] Eſt hic Aoriſtus pro Futuro., and caſt into the fire. 4. They are raging and furious waves of the ſea [Iſa. 57.20.], always turbulent, foaming out and diſcovering the filthineſs of their hearts, which they ought to be aſhamed of. 5. They are wandring-ſtarrs; they take upon them the name of illuminated perſons, but are indeed uncertain, unſtable Teachers, wandring and departing from the true faith once delivered to them: but though they profeſs themſelves Starrs, yet to them blackneſs of darkneſs (that is, exceeding great darkneſs, call'd outward darkneſs, Mat. 8.12, as being furtheſt off from that region of light and glory wherein the Saints ſhall dwell) is reſerved as their juſt reward and puniſhment. He further ſhews that to theſe men the Prophecy of Enoch belongs, who at the beginning of the world (being the ſeventh from Adam), by the ſpirit of prophecy, foretold the ſins of ſuch perſons, and their condemnation at the day of judgment, when Chriſt ſhall come in a glorious manner attended with Myriads of Saints and Angels to execute judgment upon all the ungodly, and eſpecially upon ſuch as have ſpoken contumeliouſly againſt Himſelf and his holy Truth. And that theſe men are ſome of thoſe ungodly ones whom this prophecy concerns, may appear by this; Th…y are murmurers and complainers, never contented, but always quarrelling and complaining of their preſent condition; they love to walk after the luſts of their own hearts, without being reſtrained by any laws: their mouths are full of haughty(n)Qui ont la bouche pléne de paroles enflées, hautanes, & inſolentes, qu'and ils ont afaire à ceux à qui ils s' eſtiment ſupericurs, mais qui flattent & cajolent, qui eſtiment & qui adm rent les perſonnes dont ils attendent quelque avantage, ou dont ils eſperent quelque profit? Amiraut in his paraphraſe on the place. and inſolent ſpeeches, when they have to do with thoſe whom they judg themſelves ſuperior unto; but they flatter, cajole, and ſeem to admire the perſons and the actions of others from whom they expect any benefit or advantage. And beſides this ancient Prophecy for the fortifying of them againſt theſe Seducers, he adviſes them to remember and conſider the warnings *Intellige autem, non tantum quae ſcriptis mandata, ſed & quae voce dicta, per manus tradebantur. Crot.and advertiſements given them by the Apoſtles Paul and Peter [ſee 2 Pet. 3.2.], who expreſly ſpeak of theſe wicked ſcoffers, ſons of Belial, that ſhould ariſe in the Church in the laſt times (o)Called here the last days, either with reſpect to the approaching judgment on the Jews; or becauſe from the preaching of the Goſpel, the last diſpenſation was begun, which God intended to continue without change to the end of the world., which were now come. Theſe mockers and ſcoffers, he ſhews, were ſuch, as without any juſt cauſe or warrant, ſeparated themſelves from the communion and ſociety of faithful Chriſtians, and ſought to draw others alſo into the like ſeparation, pretending to be more holy, and ſpiritual, and perfect, than they; whereas indeed they themſelves were meer Senſualiſts, ſuch in whom ſenſe and the fleſh do reign with full vogue and ſway, and have nothing of that enlightning, ſanctifying, quickning, comforting-Spirit, which Chriſt communicates to his faithful ones. From Ver. 2, to 20.
He comes now in the cloſe of his Epiſtle to give them ſome hortatory Directions, by way of Antidote, againſt theſe Seducers, and their Seductions.
1. That they ſhould labour to build up one another in holineſs, being ſetled on th…t holy and pure Doctrine of Faith (as on a firm foundation) which they had learned from the Apoſtles.
2. They ſhould be earneſt in prayer unto God, That by his Divine Grace and Power he would ſtrengthem them therein; labouring to pray by the aſſiſtance of the Holy Ghoſt*He prayeth in us, by exciting the gifts and graces he hath given us. We pray in him by his aſſiſtance, when he helpeth us to ſtir up and exerciſe thoſe gifts and graces.; and exciting in themſelves the gifts and graces he hath given them.
3. That they ſhould keep themſelves continually in the exerciſe of love to God, labouring to encreaſe therein more and more; chearfully expecting and looking for that merciful (p)V. 21. Mercy] the Cauſe is put for the Effect.ſentence of Chriſt at the Day of Judgment, whereby he will beſtow eternal life on them.
4. He gives them directions how to deal with thoſe that are any way corrupted by theſe Seducers, viz. That they ſhould deal with them aft…r a different manner, according as their particular condition required; ſuch as were w…ak and ſimple, and had been eaſily ſeduced, he adviſes they ſhould deal with them with great tenderneſs and compaſſion: But as for thoſe who were further intangled, and corrupted, and hardned in their errors by theſe Seducers; they ſhould endeavour to ſave them with fear, that is, they ſhould terrifie them with the fear of God's judgments and wrath, if they went on in theſe ways; and by ſharp admonitions, and a due and ſolemn uſe of Church-cenſures (as occaſion required) ſnatch them, as it were, out of the fire which will deſtroy them if they continue in it. And thus they would ſhew and declare their great deteſtation of holding any co-partnerſhip or fellowſhip with them in their errors; and that they not only hated all impiety and wickedn…ſs of life, but all erroneous Doctrines that might infect men, or draw them into it; as when a man would avoid the infection of the Peſtilence, he will flye from, and not dare to touch any garment(q)By the garment ſpotted with the fleſh, the Apoſtle intends that which ſeems to have any affinity or nearneſs to the vices of thoſe ſinners which were among them. See Mr. Jenkins learned Commentary on this Epiſtle. of an infected perſon.
He ſhuts up his Epiſtle, commending them to the Divine Grace of Chriſt, who is able to keep them from apoſtacy and falling away after the example of theſe Seducers, and to cauſe to ſtand before his own moſt glorious Throne, ſuch as ſhall be accounted blameleſs*Eph. 5.27. in his ſight, to their exceeding great joy and triumph. To this only wiſe God, who is our Saviour, he deſires all Glory, M…j…ſty, Dominion, and Power, may for ever be aſcrib'd. Amen.